Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-05-08
CHAPTER VIII.
JESS GOES To PRETORIA:

not care about Jane Neville now, because
she had grown so vulgar. Don't you re-
member when she stopped here oil her way
down TO Natal last year. and held up her
fat hands, and said, All, JesS-Jess IS a
genius! II is q privilege to know her.
| And then she wanted You to quote Snakes
peare to that lump of a brother OF hers, and
YOU told her that if she did not mold her
tongue she wOuld not enjoy the privilege
much longer. And now yOu want TO go
and stop with her for two months! Well,
Jess, YOU are odd. And, what's more, |
think it is very unkind of you to 90 away
for so long
To all OF which prattlc Jess said nothing,
but merely reiterated her determination to
go. ~
John, too, was aStonished end, to tell
| the truth, not q little Disguised. Since
| the previous day, when he had that talk
with her i'm Lion KlOOf, Jess had stunned
4 clearer and more defined interest III his
ewes. Before that she had been IN enigma;
now he had guessed enough about her TO
make him anxious TO Know more. Indeed,
he had not perhaps realized how strong
and definite his interest wa till he heard
| that she was going away for a long period.
| Suddenly it struck him that the farm
would he very dull without this interesting
woman moving about the place IN her
silent, ~resolute kind of way. Bessie was,
no doubt, delightful and charming to look
on, but she had not got her sisters brains
and originality and John Mel was sui
l~iciently above the ordinary run to
thoroughly appreciate intellect and orig
inalitv in a woman, instead OF standing
agbast at it. She interested him intensely,
to say the least of it, and, manllEe, he
ielt exceedingly put ont, and even Sulky,
Mt the idea of her departure. lie looked
at her in remOnstrluce, and even IN awk-
wardneSS begOtten of his irritation, Knocked
down the vinegar cruct and made Il mess
upon the table; but she evadcd hi4 eyes
and took no notice of the vinegar. Then,
| feeling that he dad done all that in him
Law. he went to see about the OStTiChcs; first
of all hanging about 4 little to see If jess
would come out, which she lid not. In
deed, he saw nothing more Of her TIL sup
perfume. Bessie told him that she said
She was busy packing; hut rs one can only
take twenty pounds weight Of luggage IN
| Il iONl-tslll. illlN NlN nv UNIV
him that it was so in fact.
At supper she was, ifpoSslble, even more
uuiet than she had been at dinner. After
it was over he asked her TO sing, but she
declined, saying that she had given up
singing for the present, and perSisting III
her statement in spite Of the chorus of re-
monstrance it aroused. The birds only
sing while they are mating; and 1t is, by
the way, a curious thing, and suggestive
of the theory that the same great principles
pervqde all nature, that Jess, now that her
! trouble had uyertaken her, and that she
had lost her love which had suddenly
sprung from her heart-Gull-grown and
clad in power us Athena sprang from the
heat Of JOve-had no further inclination
to Use her divine gift OF song. 1t probably
was nothing more than 4 coincidence, but
it was a curious one.
The arrangement was, that on the NOR
row Jess was to be driven in the Cape cart
TO MartinuS-W rSSelStrOom, more commonly
called WakkcrslrOOm, and there catch the
POSTCARD, which was timed TO leave the
town at midday, though when it wonid
leave was quite another matter. POSTCARDS
are not particular to n day or so in the
Transvaal.
Old Silas Croft was going to drive her
with Bessie, vino had some shopping to 90
in WakkeTStrOOm, as ladies' sometimes
have: hut at the last moment the old man
got Il ]premOnitOry twinge Of the rheuma-
tism, 80 which he was 4 martyr, and could
not 70: so, of course, John volunteered,
and, though Jess raised some difficulties,
ReSSie furthersd the idea, and in the end
his offer WAS accepted.
Accordingly Mt half-paSt eight on a
baautiGuy morning up came the tented cart,
with its two massive wheels. stout stink
wood diSsclhoom, and four spirited young
| horses: to the head Of which the hottcntOt
Jautie assiste l by the Zulu MOuti. clad in
the sweet simplicity OF 4 mOocha, n lew
feathers i'm his wool, and 4 horn Snuil-bON
stuck through the ileShy part OF the ear,
hung grimly On. In they got-John first,
then Bessie next to him. then Jess Next
Jantie scrambled up behind; and after
some preliminary backing and plunging,
and showing 4 disposition to twine them
selves a~ilectiOuately round the Orangc-trees,
oil went the horses ut u hand gallOp, and
away swung tie cart alter them, i'll u fash
ION that would have frightened anybody
not accustomed To that mode OfprOgreSSiOn
pretty well out OF his wits. As it was,
John had rs much rs he could do to keep
the four horses together and 10 prevent
them from boiling, and this alone, TO say
nothing Of the rafting and i0lting of the
vehicle over the uneven track, was sui
iicent TO put 4 stop To any attempt ut con-
ycGSation.
WlEkCrStrnOm was about eighteen miles
from Mooifortein, 4 distance that they
covered well within the two hours. Here
the horses were OutSpaancd at the hotel.
and John went jnt0 the house whence the
pOSt-cirt was to start and booked Jess
scat. and then joined the ladies at the
''Kantcor." " or store where they were shop
ping After the shopping was done they
went hack To the inn together and had
some dinner; by which time the liottentOt
driver Of the cart began tO tune mp Justly,
hut unmClodiOuSly, on a bugle 10 inform
intending passengers that it was time 10
start. Bessie was ont of the room ut the
moment. and. with the exception of a
peculiarly dirty-looking Coolie waiter,
there was nobody about.
HOW l'N- dIV NNu SplhS w N away
Miss JeSs?' asked John.
1.-TWO months more or less, Captain
Mel
a am very sorry that You are going"
he said, earnestly. at will he very dull
ut the farm without YOU
''There will he Bessie for you to talk to-
she answered, turning her face TO the win
dow, and affecting to watch the inspanning
of the POSTCARD in the yard on which ii
looked.
Captain NielI' she said, suddenly.
"Yes?"
''Mind you look after Bessie while l am
away. Listen! / am going to tell you
something. You know Frank Muller?'
eyes, l know him, and 4 very dis,
agreeable fellow he is"
well he threatened Bessie the other